Night depository theftproof closure construction



Jan. 8, 1952 H. c. BEHRENS ETAL NIGHT nEPosIToRY THEFTPROOF cLosURE CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 25.. 1948 3 Shegts-Sheet l I IN V EN TORS Henberi' C ekrflzia:i Herbe/ C Baden ell A rromvfys NIGHT DEPosIToRY THEFTPRGOF VCLOSURE CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 23, 1948 Jan. 8, 1%)52 'H'. c. BEHRENS 'ETAL 3 shets-sheet 2 Jln- 8, 1952 H. c. BEHRENS ETAL NIGHT DEPOSITORY' THEFTPROOF CLOSUR CONSTRUCTION 3 sheets-sheet :s

Filed Nov. 23, 1948 Ffa IN VEN TORS Fig 7 Y/WM fyPatented Jan. 8, 1952 NIGHT DEPOSITORY THEFTPROOF CLOSUR'E CONSTRUCTION Herbert C Behrens, Canton, and Herbert C. Badenell, Navarre, Ohio, assgnors' to Diebold, Incorporated, Canton, Ohio, a corporationyof' Ohio,

Application November 23, 1948 Serial No.Y 61,572

(Cl. BSZ-44) 3 Claimsl l.

The invention relates generally to night depositories' whichare used by banks to permit deposits after business hours, and more particularly to a night depository construction which has; novel and, improved meansI for preventing access to the deposits by an unauthorizedv per son through the exterior of the depository.

Conventional night depositores include a door which is unlocked by the depositors hey and: swings outwardly about its bottom edge to give access, to. a hopper attached to the door and adapted for receiving a deposit bag,u thehopper being' arranged when the door' closes to dump the bag into, a chute communicating with a depository safe. However, there are several ways that, deposits may be stolen from such a depository by an unauthorized person having in his possession a key tol the depository door. For example, by' opening the doorl only part way a wire can be inserted past' the inner end of` the hopper and into the chute, and` by attaching a hook onr the end of the wire before in-n serting it, itis possible to catch the hook on a bag in the safe and draw the bag up into the hopper where it is accessible by further opening the door. Another way is to suspend an openmouth bag or net in the chute just below the hopper by inconspicuous wires extending through the` hopper and the door, so that when a deposit bag` is dumped; from the hopper it is caught in the suspended bag which subsequently can be pulled by the thief into the hopper by the wires withv the door partlyopen,I and the bag can then be. removed.

These. and other methods of burglarizing or piltering,v conventional night depositories are made possible by the fact that when the door is fullyA closed the inner end of the hopper necessarily is spaced far enough from lthe chute wallV to dump a deposit bag, and when the door is slightly open the hopper still clears the chute wall suiiiciently to permit feeding a wire past the hopper and into, the, chute. In other words, there is a position with the door partly open when there is a through opening from the door into the chute.

It has been proposed to overcome this diiflcult'y by providing a door or ap normally clos ing the inner end of the hopper in such manner as, to permit a bag to drop from the hopper,` but to. prevent a. bag from being pulled back into the hopper, but such a door can easily be wedged open by reaching, in through. the door when par'- tially open.

@byiously,4 complicated mechanisms for buglar prooilng, thev` conventional night depository can be devised', but such mechanisms are much too expensive for the particular market. in. which the depositories are sold, and moreover, they are not adapted for use with the present. type of conventional depository without completely redesigning the entire construction.

It is a genera-I object of the present invention to provide novel and improved means forV making a, conventional night depository theft-proof.

Another and more specific object is to provide novel means for preventingv the occurrence of a through opening from theouter door into the chute at any tim-e during the opening and closing of the door;

Another objectl is to provide novel means for closing the inner end of the hopper when the door is. open and for closing the front or outer end of the hopper when its inner end is open.

A further object is to provide novel' closure means or closing the inner end of thel hopper when the door isopen, which means cannotY be wedged open with the door i'n open or partly open position.

Another object is to provide'novel closure means for the inner end of the hopper so constructed that the door cannot be fully closed if the closure means is wedged shut.

A still further object is to provide novel closure means for the. inner end of the hopper so constructed that the door cannot be opened if the closure means is held open,

These and other objects are accomplished by the parts, constructions, arrangements and combinations which comprise the present invention, the nature of which is set forth in the following general statement,V and preferred embodiments of which are set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims formingl part hereof.

In general terms, the present invention may be set forth as including, in a depository having a hopper mounted on the inside of a door hinged at its bottom edge for dumping into a chute Vwhen the doorcloses, a gravity hung closure flap pivoted on the hopper' for closing its inner end and being positively held closed by the depository frame during the nal opening movement of the door, and an outercover pivoted` on the hopper 4for closing its outerl end and positively held closed by the depository frame forA closing the outer end of the hopper in all except the fully open, position oi'V the door.,

lI-teferringu to the drawings forming part hereof 3 in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown by way of example;

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view showing the improved depository construction mounted in a masonry wall, with the door in fully closed position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the door in fully open position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View as on line 3 3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1, showing the door in slightly open position;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the door approaching fully open position;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan sectional view as on line 6 5, Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line 1 1, Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary cross sectional view similar to Fig. 2, as on line 8 8, Fig. 9;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view as on line 9 9, Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view as on line |0 ||I, Fig. 1. y

The improved night depository construction is shown mounted in a usual fashion in an opening Ill provided in a masonry building wall indicated at II. The depository includes an escutcheon door frame I2 overlapping the opening IEI, and preferably constructed of strong metal plate having an outer peripheral ange I3 which bears on the outer surface of the wall I I.

The door frame I2 has a central door opening I4 normally closed by a heavy metal door I5 I which may be reenforced by a transverse rib IS and has a bottom rim ange I1. Preferably the door I5 is hinged adjacent its bottom edge by means of pivot pins IB secured in ears IS on the side anges 11a of the door and journaled in suitable bearings formed in the inturned iianges 2Q of the door frame (Fig. 6).

A rectangular casing 2| is secured at its upper outer end to the anges of the door frame, Y

telescopes within the upper end of a downwardly inclined chute 24, being secured thereto by screws 25, and the lower end of the chute communicates with a suitable depository safe (not shown) in a well-known manner.

A substantially L-shaped hopper is mounted on the inside of the door I5, and has a front wall 25 extending transversely of the door I5 and positioned to be inclined slightly outwardly from the door opening when the door is fully open as in Fig. 2. The bottom wall 21 of the hopper is preferably at right angles to the wall 2E, and is arranged to be substantially parallel with the inclined bottom wall of the chute 24 when the door is closed and extends at right side walls 3| of the casing 2| and preferably M have angular stop plates 32 for engaging suitable bumpers 33 on the frame when the door reaches fully open position. Preferably the upper edges of the hopper side walls are curved about the pivots I3 as centers, and the walls extend outwardly to connect with the door I5 and top wall 29. Anotch 30a may be provided in each side wall 30 for engaging a vertical plate h welded on the casing 2| when the door is closed.

The door I5 is preferably provided with a lock 34 secured on the inside of the door and having a key cylinder 35 extending through the door for insertion of a'key from the exterior thereof. The lock includes a latch 36 which extends upwardly through the curved wall 29 for engaging behind a shoulder 31 on the door frame to lock the door in closed position, as shown in Fig. 1. The exterior of the door is provided adjacent its upper edge with recessed pull handle 38 as shown.

The constructions of the parts thus far described are more or less conventional, and per se form no part of the present invention.

An inner closure flap 40 for theV inner end of the hopper is pivoted at its front end on intermediate portions of the hopper side plates 34 adjacent their upper edges. As best shown in Fig. 7, a pivot pin 4| extends between the hopper side plates 30, and a central hinge sleeve 42 on the flap 4i! is journaled on the hinge pin. The side edges of ap t closely within the side' walls 5I) of the hopper with only a working clearance. A front cover 43 is provided for that portion of the hopper between the hinge pin 4| and the upper end of the front outer hopper wall 25. Therear or innerY end of the cover 43 is provided with hinge sleeves 43a which are jour-1. naled on the pin 4| and which extend from the ends of the sleeve portion 42 outwardly toward the hopper side walls 30. The cover 43 is curved about the pivot I8 as a center, so that when the' cover is closed as in Fig. 1 it becomes a continuation of the arcuate wall 29.

The cover 43 is provided along its side edges with depending flanges 44 having bottom edges curved parallel to the top of the cover, and a downturned flange 45 is provided along the front edge of the cover. The front and side edges of the top of the hopper opening are provided with grooves for receiving the flanges 44 and 45 when the cover is closed, so that there can be no possibility of inserting a wire or the like under the cover 43 in closed position. The grooves for receiving the curved flanges 44 are provided by composite plates indicated-generally at 46 which are attached tothe hopper side walls 30 by means of rivets 41. .w

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 7, the plates 46 are composed of three separate plies in flatwise abutment with each other, the outer ply 48 being in abutment with the hopperV wall 30, and the inner ply 49 terminating slightly below the tops of the plies 48 and 5U to form a groove 5| along the top edge of the plates 46 for receiving the depending rib 44. As an additional safeguard against possible insertion of a wire into the hopper, the ribs 44 are continued around theV under side of the hinge sleeves 43a of the covery as at 44a, and the intermediate plate 49 is formed to provide a groove for receivingV the extended rib 44a.. Y

A channel strip 52 is attached to the inturned flange 2B along the upper front edge of the hopper opening, for providing a groove 53 which receives the 'downturned flange 45 of the cover- :wenen 43 in closed position. As shown in Fig, 1 the hinge pin 4|. is' mounted at its ends in the plates 46 by1 extending through they outer ply'r plates e8 thereof, the inner ply plates U being curved to seat the hinge sleeves 43a. As best shown in Ffg. 3, means for urging the cover 43 toward open position may consist of spring-pressed plunger-'s 541, one in each groove 5|, for engaging the ribs 44 to1 push the cover upwardly an initial amount when the door rea-ches fully open position, as iln- Fig. 2".v The plungers 5emay be. urged upwardly by helical springs 55 slid'abI-y` mounted in bores 56 in theinte-rmediate plates e9, bottom of the bores being closed' by screwplugs 51.

The rear inner end of the flap 4i) isl provided with al plurality of pointed teeth 5E preferably angled toward the inner end of the bottom hopper'wall 2T, and arranged to overhang the inner end; of the Wall 21 when the flap is fully closed thereon, as indicated in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. In fully closed position, the hopper bottom lwall. 2.1 is spaced from the front wal-l of the chute. 24. a distance less than the length of the teeth 58, so that when'y the hopper approachesl fully closed position the teeth581 will engage: the chute: wall, as indi.- cated at A iin dot-dash lines in Fig.. i.. The purpose' of this: construction is to prevent final closing. movementioi the door without initiating opening movement of the inner end of the flap 4D, so that in the event an unauthorized person were to secure the inner end` of the flap in closed position to trap a deposit bag for subsequent removal, the depostor would be warned by the failure of the door to close. The nap fill will normally hang substantially vertical by gravity when the" door is fully closed, as shown in full hnes in Fig. l, and a deposit bag will slide from the hopper and push the nap aside suiiiciently to drop into the chute. The purpose of the teeth 58 is to guard against any possibility of pulling a bag from the chute upwardly into the hopper by means of wires and the like.

The means for preventing opening of the inner hap 4|] during nal opening movement of the door, and for holding the cover 43 closed until the door is fully open, preferably consists of a curved Wall 60 mounted within the casing 2| above the hopper and curved about the pivot I8 as a center. The wall E0 is secured at its front end 6| to the inner upper flange 62 of the doorframe I2, and is secured at its inner end 50a to the rear Wall of the casing 2|, by suitable means such as spot welding or riveting.

The curved Wall Sit is positioned to be very closely adjacent to the curved wall 29 and the front cover 43 when the door is closed, so that there is only a necessary working clearance permitting the hopper to move past the wall 60 as the door is opened. The bend in the iiap at the base of the teeth 58 at the inner end of the ilap 41| is indicated at 63, and when the nap is fully closed on the hopper wall 21, as in Fig. 2, the bend 63 in the flap is positioned so as to have only a working clearance with the curved wall Gli-during final opening movement of the door. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2, when the door is fully open, the bend 63 of the flap is substantially in engagement with the curved wall 6!) so that the flap cannot be opened.

lAs shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the curved Wall 6D is1 in substantial engagement with the cover 43 during most of the opening movement of the door, so that the cover 43 cannot be opened to any extent Whatever until the door is substantially fully open or until the rear end of the cover 4l clears the front end 6| o! the curved wall i0?. Accordingly, when the door is only slightly open. as in Fig. 4, the flap 4liis free to open but the cover 43 is held tightly closed by the curved wall 6U, so that no access can be had through thev door into: the hopper and thence into the chute. As the door is opened farther so that theV front edge of the hopper opening clears4 thedoor framev as in Fig. 5, the inner end of the flap 40 is still free to be opened a limited amount, but the cover 43 is still held tightly closed by the wall 60;

When the door reaches: orK approaches the fully open position of' Fig. 2 and the cover 43 clears the door frame, the cover 43 can then be opened,

but the bend. 53 on the flap 40 is in substantial engagement` withA the. wall 60, thus preventing any opening movement of the flap 4l). Obviously, by the` time the doorl has closed suiiiciently to permitL any opening movement of the 'flap 4D, the cover 431 isa inV engagement withA the curved wall Soto prevent any opening movement of the cover. Thus there is never a through opening from the outer door to the inner chute in any position of the door;

It is apparent. that if the flap- 4li should in come` way be wedged open, it will not stay in such position during movement of the door, because even though the ap is wedged open only a slight amount, the door cannot be opened suiii- 'ciently to allow opening movement of the cover 43. and?. access to thev hopper..

` In Figs.. 8i and 9' a. modified form` of. improved means is shown for initiating opening movement o1?. the cover 43 as: the` door reaches' fully open position.. In the modified form, the casing 2| is: provided adjacent the door opening with a depending ear B5 having an inner cam surface 65 thereon. The adjacent side of the cover 43 is provided with a rearwardly extending arm 61 having a roller 68`at its rear end adapted for engaging the cam surface 66 to raise the cover 43 as the door approaches the fully open position o1 Fig. 2.

In case an unauthorized person should insert a spring plate in the hopper in such manner as to urge the ilap 40 to open when it is entirely below the inner end of curved wall 6U, as shown at B in dot-dash lines in Fig. 1, for the purpose of pulling a bank deposit bag up into the hopper for subsequent removal, means is provided for preventing opening of the door suiciently to gain access to the hopper.

As shown in Figs. 1 and l0, the flap 40 is provided with slots 10 in its opposite edges and adjacent to the hinge portions 43a, and a pair of hooks 1| is provided on housing 2i, one to enter each slot 10 when the flap 40 is opened to the dotdash position B, as in Fig. 1. Now if the door |5 is opened very slightly in order to manipulate wires or the like extending into the hopper for raising a deposit bag, the bottom of slots 1li will engage behind the hooks 1|, thus positively preventing any further opening movement of the door and hopper and consequently preventing the theft.

The novel depository construction set forth provides simple and inexpensive means for making a conventional night depository theft-proof. without requiring complicated mechanisms which are diilicult and expensive to install. The novel construction is so designed as to prevent the occurrence of a through opening from the outer door to the chute at any time during opening and l closing movement, consequently precluding any possibility'of access by an unauthorized person to deposits after they have been placed in the hopper and the door has been completely closed.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such kWords are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated and described herein are by Way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the invention, the construction, the operation and use of preferred embodiments thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; 'the new and useful constructions, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.v

We claim:

1. In a night depository having a at its bottom edge'in a casing and a hopper carried onY the inside of the door for dumping into a chute When the door closes, an inner closure Hap pivoted on an intermediate portion of said hopper and having its inner end overhanging the inner end of said hoppenmeans on the casing for engaging lthe inner end of said ap to prevent opening of the flap during nal opening'movement oi the door, an outer cover pivoted'on said intermediate portion of the hopper for closing its outer end,n and said casing means slidably engaging the cover to prevent opening movement thereof until the door is fully open, the inner end of said inner ap engaging the chute wall to start opening movement of the flap just before the hopper reaches fully closed position.

2. In a night depository having a door hinged at its bottom edge on a frame and a hopper mounted on the inside of the door for dumping into a chute when the door is closed, an inner closure ap pivoted on the hopper for closing its inner end and having a slot therein, and a. projection on the frame fol` engaging said slot to arrest opening movement of the door when the flap is held in partially open position.

3. In a night depository having a door hinged at its bottom edge on a frame, a chute, and a hopper mounted on the inside of the door for dumping into the` chute when the door is closed. the hopper having a bottom'wall extending completely across the chute when the door is open. an inner closure flap pivoted on the hopper for closing the hopper, means on said flap for preventing nal closing movement of the door if the ilap is held completely closed, and a Wall von the frame positioned to lie closely adjacent to and substantially engage said closure nap as the hopper is moved toward open position.

HERBERT C. BEHRENS. HERBERT C. BADENELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the` file of this patent: g

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date v525,498 Johnston Sept. 4, 1894 1,364,126 Martel Jan. 4, 1921 

